Sea Otter Deaths Up Along State's Central Coast

California sea otters are having a rough year. Not only are more of them dying from shark bites…researchers say the animals are also being poisoned by freshwater bacteria that’s getting into the ocean.

State scientists say, this time of year, they typically come
across six injured or dead otters bitten by great white sharks
along the central coast. Last month they found 19…a record.

Mike Harris with the California Department of Fish and Game says
most of the otters had a single bite mark.

"There's never soft tissue removed, there's never any indication
of a secondary bite. We describe these events as being an
investigative bite."

He says once the sharks realize they're not biting into their
preferred prey of seals or sea lions…they move on. White sharks
like cold water and some researchers believe the
cooler-than-average ocean temperatures from an unusually mild
summer have helped trigger a boom in the shark population along
California's central coast.

But sharks aren't the only threat.

"Otters are getting hit from a bunch of different angles. We
also have a fair amount of mortality that seems to be related to
exposure to land-sea pollutants."

Miller say bacteria from the algae flows into Monterey Bay from
nearby lakes and rivers and contaminates the sea otters' food
sources. She says the bacteria is tied to more than 20 otter deaths
over the past few years.